A devastating accident with the Kel-Tec KSG

It appears that their client was shooting a Kel-Tec KSG equipped with a ProMag "Archangel" polymer forward grip when tragedy occurred.

Keep in mind the KSG is a bullpup 12 gauge, with a total length of only 26 inches.

"The properly installed forward grip slid off the gun rail while the user was pumping the gun, resulting in the user shooting off part of his hand," the attorney wrote on a lawyers-only site.

The attorney was seeking advice and technical experts for the lawsuit. A friend saw the post and sent it to me.

A contact wound with a 12 gauge is devastating. There's no coming back from something like that.

The attorney cites the compact nature of the KSG, and the fact there is nothing on the rail to "prevent the grip from sliding off."

They also noted alleged problems with the forward grip: "Nothing but a polymer nipple secures this grip to the rail -- this nipple partially sheared off during first use."

My thoughts on the KSG are mixed.

I think it's an intriguing design, but it suffers from Kel-Tec's poor quality control.

Some KSGs run like sewing machines, but some shooters have complained about serious, potentially fight-stopping FTEs and FTFs with their KSGs. The model I shot functioned flawlessly, however it was not nearly as smooth as other pump guns.

The polymer rail on the pump concerns me too.

And then there's the price, an MSRP of $990, which equates to about two 870s.

If you shoot one, please be careful.

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VIEWING 59 COMMENTS

Jaque

Friday, August 8, 2014 at 8:31 am

Let me first say that I have no details about this accident other than what has been published in the media. Two individual objects, inherently safe when separate, became a recipe for disaster when assembled together and used in a manner not intended by their makers. Such accidents occur every day, with bicycles, automobiles, power tools, and even appliances. I can envision the lawyers having a wonderful time, as experts in ergonomics, safety engineering, mechanics, physics, materials, and firearms design each take the stand and help to explain the chain of errors that linked up for this accident to have occurred. Additionally we do not know if there was a materials failure, perhaps the fore grip was never properly tightened, and therefore loosened through repeated use. However, in trying to understand what factors could contribute to such an accident the following observations were made.

In looking at the photograph of the KSG with the vertical fore grip attached, one can easily fail to understand that picatinny rails are not designed to be used as leverage points, or for transmitting forces. The same could be said for the "Archangel" polymer forward grip, meant to be used as a “hand hold” to steady the fore end of the weapon for correct sight alignment. The "Archangel" polymer forward grip was not designed to be used as a lever or to transmit cyclic forces such as that encountered when racking the slide of the KSG. It’s also unlikely the hardware used to attach the "Archangel" polymer forward grip to the KSG was made of anything other than common materials, or underwent any special testing protocols for materials strength or durability. It’s doubtful any one in either of the companies who manufactured the two products tested them together and in the way that the victim did, and if they did, it was not under repeated firing conditions. Unfortunately, it was a regular guy, who saw that it was perfect and natural fit to mount a vertical fore-grip to the picatinny rail on the underside of the slide of his KSG. And since the vertical fore grip is now attached to the slide, it’s only natural to use the fore grip to rack the slide too! After all that’s why all the pieces fit together.

I would agree with Jaque. The grip may have been properly installed, but it was the wrong tool for the job intended. If you were to look at that little tip that locks the grip into the rail slots, it's easy to see it would not hold up to the abuse inherent to racking a shotgun slide. A grip properly designed for that function would have much more clamping surface area on the rail. That's a good oppertunity for after market support, hint, hint.

Without knowing all the fact, I have a few questions:
Why was his finger on the trigger as he was racking the slide?
Why was his hand in front of the muzzle at the time?
Was this an issue of the KSG firing out of battery?
Was this set up never tried while the KSG was unloaded? No dry run?

I do want to know where one can find a KSG for MSRP, though. I can't find them for less than 1300.

Lee Williams

Friday, August 8, 2014 at 10:41 am

The $990 MSRP is straight from Kel-Tec.

zengunfigher

Friday, August 8, 2014 at 2:23 pm

Chris, I'd guess the owner was shooting it 'rapid fire', running the action quick and hard and tripping the trigger. The handle snapped off as he was vigorously running the slide action back into battery and his hand, unable to stop it's forward momentum in time, flew forward in front of the muzzle just as he pulled the trigger.
I'm guessing his hand was below the muzzle and he took blast, but not pellets. Which would still be pretty devastating...

Lee Cruse

Friday, August 8, 2014 at 8:46 pm

I certainly want a more detailed description of the event. I do not understand how the gun would fire if your finger was not on trigger, so was this really a ND?

1 With A Bullet

Friday, August 8, 2014 at 8:59 pm

It's a shame that this accident occurred, but based on what I read I don't see much culpability on the part of Kel-Tec. Regarding the above article:
1) The price of the KSG has nothing to do with this accident.
2) The reliability of other KSG's is immaterial; this one apparently functioned as designed: discharging the shell when the trigger was pulled.
3) The compactness of the KSG is not particularly relevant either. There are thousands of registered shotguns and rifles, many with rails; it is understood that when using one, care must be taken to keep hands behind the muzzle. Furthermore, I would bet money the compactness was one of the features that attracted the buyer.
4) The lawyer states the so-called fact there is nothing on the rail to "prevent the grip from sliding off." When, in fact, the notches in the rail (and every other picatinny rail) and the clamping force of the accessory are what keep the accessory attached. However, the lawyer states the polymer nipple on the foregrip sheared off allowing it to slide off the end of the rail.
So if the rail is intact following the accident, the part that failed is... the foregrip.

Jaque makes several good points about the unforeseen combination of parts not intended to be used together, but I suspect Pro-mag foregrips will now come with a label stating not to use them on heavy recoiling firearms.

Perhaps the lesson to the rest of us is not to put a $20 foregrip on a $990 shotgun.

1 With A Bullet

Saturday, August 9, 2014 at 10:16 am

My apologies. I dropped a word during editing before I posted. It should have read "There are thousands of registered *short-barreled* shotguns and rifles..."

jeff

Sunday, August 10, 2014 at 7:05 am

Its a shame we are a country that blames others when we screw up. You pick up a gun & you have alreasy takin a chance of hurting urself. Now u want money for your stupid actions.

jeff

Sunday, August 10, 2014 at 7:07 am

The only person coming out ahead in this & he don't give 2 shits about you & ur hand is the scumbag lawyer

Karl Roebling

Monday, August 11, 2014 at 4:44 am

So the aftermarket grip fails, how is that Kel-Tec's fault?

Jesse

Monday, August 11, 2014 at 4:18 pm

I had one, put just over 1000rds through it. The must have been hammering it as fast as he could. Honestly I dont see as either company is at fault here

Dave

Monday, August 11, 2014 at 11:23 pm

Once again a person is blaming the manufacturer over the user. The manufacturer didn't sell that foregrip with the shotgun, so why should they be responsible. If I buy a circular saw and attach a grip to the side of it and it breaks and I cut myself, should black & decker be responsible and criticized for their design? Hell no. Only the lawyer's in this country who don't produce a thing, think that everything should be rubber coated in this world.
The user, with his own free will, put that on the gun and if 'he' didn't do enough research and testing, to see if that foregrip would be right for the job or fail, only he is to blame. Stupid is as Stupid does.

Morgan Atwood

Tuesday, August 12, 2014 at 12:23 am

I see no evidence of the KSG being at fault here.
The *ahem* "fecal" quality of the plastic used by ProMag for their products, however...
KelTec bears now responsibility for this. ProMag likely bears most of it... that is not born by the user, at least.

Mike Herd

Tuesday, August 12, 2014 at 4:17 am

The KSG is a fighting gun, not a smooth operating fowling piece. With proper training they are safe and efficient. Such a lawsuit is frivolous and unecessary. It sounds as if this wounded person was hot dogging it and messed up. Now they attempting to profit from it. Shame, shame.

Redniner

Tuesday, August 12, 2014 at 7:43 am

The existence of this potential problem has been made public before. I have seen, in the firearms press, several advisory articles warning KSG owners to avoid putting this type of vertical grip on their guns.

I also do not know the facts of this case, but being a woman who found her kid key ten at a gun show and thought wow! Smaller. In size and maybe easier to handle. It was exactly that. Once you take the time to train yourself on all the moving parts and how to use the shot gun properly I tjink it's a great self defense tool. I had no issues with the two I've had. Love both of them and deff would recommend them. I'm a big girl but I still get intimidated by big guns and hate how bulky they are. This made it easier for me to use and yes it still hurt to shoot but it made me feel in control.

Maggie

Tuesday, August 12, 2014 at 8:40 am

I also do not know the facts of this case, but being a woman who found her ksg kel tec at a gun show and thought wow! Smaller. In size and maybe easier to handle. It was exactly that. Once you take the time to train yourself on all the moving parts and how to use the shot gun properly I tjink it's a great self defense tool. I had no issues with the two I've had. Love both of them and deff would recommend them. I'm a big girl but I still get intimidated by big guns and hate how bulky they are. This made it easier for me to use and yes it still hurt to shoot but it made me feel in control.

Bob Shell

Tuesday, August 12, 2014 at 11:41 am

Maybe like a couple of other instances I have ran accross they were in such a hurry to get it on the market they didn't take time to properly design or test it. I didn't study the case but that is a real possibility

Bill

Tuesday, August 12, 2014 at 12:57 pm

My question to Kel-Tec would be: Why put a accessory rail on the pump action slide? It's a recipe for disaster. If you look at other manufacturers like mossberg, they put on straps and chain saw like pump assists that are solid and functional. I would recommend that they reengineer the slide handle. All that being said...may the buyer beware. Everyone wants to "Tac out" their weapons and it can lead to these accidents.

[...] At this point, Williams is the only source for this, so we’ll likely have to wait on more facts to emerge. For now, here is what Williams is reporting, [...]

JB

Thursday, August 14, 2014 at 12:20 pm

There is something to prevent the grip from sliding off. The rails are notched and the bolt that holds them on the rail goes thru a notch. It came off because it sheared. It sheared because it was not designed to rack a shotgun but to add a grip to an ar-15. In no way is kel-tec liable for someone adding an ar-15 grip to a shotgun; perhaps a sleazy lawyer can argue that "they didn't tell the user not to do stupid things" but you can't seriously expect companies to enumerate everything not to do in the world to every moron out there. There is only one party at fault here... the user.

I've never heard of anyone having problems other that loading or ejecting of rounds. As always you should keep your finger off the trigger except when firing. There's no reason to fast pump a KSG unless you want to have erratic shots with little to no control. I find there's too much playing around when firing these types of guns. Improper handling and holding of the vertical grip, you want to keep your hand back as far away as possible from the end of the barrel. If something like the vertical grip fails, let go of the weapon immediately. Better to have it hit the ground then injure yourself or others. I recommend the Magpul AFG2 grip attached to the furthest point back on the pica tinny rail, and to keep your hand firmly on the grip when firing. Adding grip tape to the grip and sides of the weapon may further reduce slippage of the weapon. http://www.TheGunDude.com

Jason McCarthy

Saturday, August 16, 2014 at 10:06 am

Well I would like to start by saying I told a friend I went out and purchased the new ksg shot gun from kel tec and his response was that that shot gun was a piece of crap well I hate to say he is dead wrong. Ive had it for a month now and never had any issues with it at all accurate cycling is great with all types of ammunition even the mini shell run perfect. I Put a good red dot mag pul grip and a laser lyte center mass and a lite.And if I can hit center mass on a target at 40 yards eazy and shoot sporting clays with I it's a good shotgun so don't let anyone tell that the ksg is crap cause thay don't know jack and I payed only 800 for mine.So back to the reason for me writing this is cause it's not the gun fault or the grip he used it's he has no idea how to mount grips so when you do you should always put the grip red dot or any optics on the rail were you like it so when you put it on the rail it will have forward and backwards movement push it forward then lock it down and always use locktight and your addons will never come losse.Trust me casue my grip is all the way up on my ksg and has not even wiggle.So iam a big Springfield fan but iam happy to own a ksg for home clays and even at long yards with slugs it's a blast so thanks for reading this and be safe and keep shooting. Ps there are cool upgrades for it still waiting for a suppressor to be made for it can't wait.

[...] I came across this incident on the KSG. Not sure if the vertical grip failed or wasn't secured properly, but might be something to keep an eye on if you're using a VG to cycle your weapon. http://thegunwriter.blogs.heraldtrib...e-kel-tec-ksg/ [...]

David

Saturday, September 6, 2014 at 2:06 pm

My forward grip broke on my KSG as well.... The polymer pin broke. But Kal-Tec KSG didn't cause the grip to break. That was an added accessory that the buyer should have researched to insure it was right for the function it was being used... Plastic parts are probably not a good idea. I'll even bet they bought the cheapest grip they could find... Did they inspect the equipment before use.... I did and that's how I found it... OK... are they suing the ammo company?.... How about their folks for not teaching the to horse play with guns.... Just sayin...

[...] gun rail while the user was pumping the gun, resulting in the user shooting off part of his hand. A devastating accident with the Kel-Tec KSG Attached [...]

Fmlyman

Friday, September 26, 2014 at 7:44 pm

Layers are suing for the wrong reason. ....Keltec is culpable but not for what they are saying.

Willard

Thursday, October 2, 2014 at 7:30 pm

I just bought a keltec ksg and am dismally disappointed. The worthless junk is incapble of ejecting and loading on the same double stroke. It takes two complete double strokes to fire one shell. Kel tec took it back, claimed to have repaired it, and it still doesn't work. Wortheless, worthless, worthless! Never again, and not only keltec but the place of purchase could care less that I am having nothing but headaches with it.

Don Brady, Jr.

Sunday, October 12, 2014 at 1:13 am

Operate the shotgun according to the instructions, use 'common sense', in choosing what you hang on the forearm, and you'll have NO problems. It is progressively made, and obviously NOT built like an '870. If you try to see just how fast you can empty it, with weak parts, you will wish you had utilized more care.

James Holbrook

Saturday, October 18, 2014 at 11:07 pm

AND THERE IT IS! Once again someone uses a product incorrectly and wants to be paid for their own stupidity. Now don't get me wrong, because I sincerely hate the fact that he hurt himself, I really do. However, it is guys like this that should stick with longer barreled Remington 870 or maybe a NEF single shot 12 gauge, but for the love of Pete I hate lawsuits like this. Hopefully by now people realize coffee is hot. Knives can cut you and driving down the road in a car is potentially dangerous. Man up and accept the fact YOU messed up, not the gun.

Dan

Monday, October 27, 2014 at 8:35 pm

Why was his finger on the trigger??? Also Having a hard time seeing him shooting his hand off! Perhaps a foot!!!

Bob Gardiner

Thursday, October 30, 2014 at 10:45 pm

I can't give a pro or con rating to this story because I wasn't there when this happened and there isn't enough logical information. However, my forward grip has two very strong screws that attach to the lower rail and those are tightened down with two pre-pressed screws. Instructions state to tighten these two screws to 35-40 inch pounds. You can then apply a small drop of thread adhesive to the screws just prior to final assembly. Couple of things come to mind ~ READ THE INSTRUCTIONS and follow them exactly as described. Also, any time you start adding aftermarket parts to any gun, you are changing many things that are unseen by the human eye. The weapon was made to shoot as it came out of the box! If I was on a jury and heard: ""Nothing but a polymer nipple secures this grip to the rail -- this nipple partially sheared off during first use. . . . . If the owner seen that nipple was partically sheared off, right then and there was the time to stop shooting. Furthermore, I find it extremely hard to believe that only a nipple held this grip on. For my Colt M-4, I buy only from ProMag and have never seen a grip like is described. ALL my aftermarket accessories from ProMag have never once failed me and I normally shoot roughly 50 rounds each week-end with my Kel-Tec and roughly 25-50 rounds with my Colt M-4 carbine 5.56. After re-reading this article, I would have to reconsider my original - pro - no pro opinion and side with KelTec and ProMag. I'm sorry this man lost part of his hand but again, without actually seeing the grip and the way it was installed, I would have to put the blame on the owner. Not that it matters but I paid $810.00 in the box. And with all weapons I buy, I take them home, tear them all the way down to check for anything that doesn't look right, clean them and hit the range to fire a few rounds.

sammy

Monday, November 3, 2014 at 8:30 pm

I also hate this person was injured but I agree with others it sounds like this accident resulted from a combination of careless and reckless use of of the ksg. this is a tactical home defense shotgun not a toy and should be handle likewise. I also think like most other avid shooters would agree that you should inspect your firearm before shooting it whether it is a ksg or an ar15 or a bb gun to make sure everything on the gun is tight and in safe firing order. as for the quality of the ksg it is a fantastic tactical home defense gun. I purchased mine for 850 new out the door and I have shot box after box of shells thru my ksg flawlessly and I would highly recomend to anyone wanting a tactical home defense shotgun to buy a ksg. they are well worth the money not to mention they are fun as hell to shoot just keep in mind any gun can hurt you if it is not handled in a safe manner wheather it is a bb gun or a ksg

[...] A devastating accident with the Kel-Tec KSG Reply With Quote [...]

Matthew Exline

Saturday, November 15, 2014 at 11:38 am

Even the finest of Earthly possessions which a man can own can be "dangerous" if used incorrectly. It is a crying shame that this great company and the product that they produce -loved by so many- might have to take a beating in a courtroom. Could this frivolous lawsuit possibly even cause Kel-Tec to have to downgrade their neigh-perfect design, just to make it more "idiot proof" for some imprudent, law-suit happy nutcases? I hope not. I only hope that Kel-Tec suffers no losses and that their KSG design does not have to become altered as a result of this nonsense.

BLACK

Monday, November 17, 2014 at 7:29 pm

This is clearly a training issue and not the fault of either manufacturer.
It sucks to lose parts of your mittens under your own stupidity, just ask anyone that used a knife as a prybar or wore extra baggy sleeves while working a band saw or anything else that can be chalked up to goode ole classic operator error.
I think this one is between him and obamacare and he should stop trying to get rich(or get his attorney rich) from his lack of trainig, knowledge of his kit and general negligence. Everyone that has purchased pro mag products knows what sort of quality or lack thereof to expect. This is akin to someone purchasing UTG products and complaiing when it failed miserably under live fire. I suggest buying a "proven" design that has seen hell and come back to tell of its horror.
This is the kind of crap that brings all the ugly creatures out of the forest and eventually its the 2nd amendment and those of us that know our stuff that pay for his.

JKS

Monday, November 24, 2014 at 10:56 pm

I don't know all of the ins and outs of this incident, but from what was described...it sounds to me that it was operator error.. Now I hate to sound unsympathetic or rude...but if the OP didn't notice that his cheap-o Promag vert grip only has a "polymer nipple" to hold it in place, keeping in mind that its being mounted on a HI CAPACITY 12 gauge shot gun... then maybe he shouldn't be shooting guns at all. There is alot of cheap crap like "Promag" out there, more suited to air soft guns. Maybe he should have spent a little more on something like a Troy industries vertical grip...that thing clamps on like a vice. I do understand how someone would put their trust into a particular company and it's products, as far as safety measures, tests and QC goes...but this indecent could have easily been prevented with a little common sense and logic.

Now on the other hand, that polymer bottom rail on the KSG...should absolutely be closed somehow on the end. I don't know, that's just my first impression on the matter. but what do I know? - Not much.

JKS

Monday, November 24, 2014 at 11:18 pm

I agree, but we dont PUMP an AR15, if youre using a VFG to rack the shotgun a quality VFG should be used and a quality grip will clamp on extremely tight.But just in case the bar on that VFG, that inlays into the rail section were to break somehow, I can see how a hand might end up in front of a muzzle. Therefore, just as an extra safety measure, maybe KelTec should put a closed end on that bottom rail...this incident proves that not every gun owner / shooter out there has a brain. so like I said, just as an added safety measure for the mentally slow folks out there.

john edwards

Thursday, November 27, 2014 at 8:04 pm

my 1st of 2 ksgs i bought from keltec through a local gun shop, i bought a plastic forgrip, however i also bought a billet aluminum lower picatinny rail and mounted it on the shotgun.firing 2.5 inch slugs through it was uneventful first day, i just zeroed my trs-25 red dot perhaps 55 shots total . later that week i went back to range and used my own store bought 2.75 inch slugs.these have considerable more kick than the ranges 2.5 inch loads.during the shoot i was racking the foregrip and it snapped off in my hand! i dont recall if it was on the fwd or backward stroke.since then ive learned a lesson. never mix plastic and metal together at the vertical foregrip. the 12 ga. shotgun with 2.75 or 3 in. loads are too much recoil shock. i also bought all metal for my 2nd o.d. green ksg. not taking any chances. my personal opinion about this whole matter is kinda like the titanic disaster. alot of people and mistakes were in a series perfectly timed to make the tragedy happen. i remember the very first glimps at the ksg hanging on the wall at the gun shop saying out loud " my God! that thing is so short a man could blow his hand off! and of course bought it right there because it was so awesome looking.i was perplexed that it didnt have some sort of device to keep the racking hand away from the business end.thought it was odd for such a deadly weapon to have no built in saftey for a slip of the hand.now ksg and magpul, hell all the foregrip makers have a in writing disclaimer of responsibility . so good luck winning that law suit. the real issue is nobody in the chain , especially ksg made no real attempt to fix the problem it created in the first place, a not my problem attitude , in writing was cheaper than making a fwd stop and putting it on each and every ksg produced. the weapon costs 799.00 and up, seems it could have had a 30 cent piece of handstop plastic attatched to it. but 30 cents times thousands of guns and there you have it. too expensive. the real deal with this gun is that the plastic lower picatinny rail supplied is just too unwieldy and hard on the shooter when 2.75 or 3 in. shells are used. so its natural to want to put a vfg on it. keltec should have figured all this out and at the very least in their manual explained this to the buyer of the gun,a crash course if you will, that the guns recoil will motivate you to buy a vfg for it , and what would likely happen when you mix plastic lower rail , and or plastic vfg to a 12 ga. shotgun with 2.75 or 3 in. recoil shock.and suggest you buy a lower metal picatinny rail , and a metal vfg and loctite them down before useing those type shells.my opinion had this been the case this mans hand would perhaps be where it belongs, but if he still had the accident im sure keltec would be in alot better position to defend themselves from a lawsuit. yohimeys

Dylan

Saturday, November 29, 2014 at 1:38 am

This is not anyones fault but the user. Wrong grip and you DO NOT have your finger on the trigger when pumping your shotgun. Sadly common sense wasnt used and now the user expects money for their mistake. I hope the judge tosses this case right out.

txcop

Monday, December 15, 2014 at 7:46 am

the platform seems to do well but as other commenters have said 900 for a Kel-Tec???e? Their is no way I could justify that price tag for a Kel-Tec, I am an armorer and I have handled many Kel-Tec handguns with countless failure issue's and QC is not that company's strong point that being said I just couldn't give them the better part of a grand just couldn't do it.... not trash talking just stating facts.....

Bob

Thursday, December 18, 2014 at 11:05 am

This incident sounds identical to numerous other ND incidents. Perhaps an inexperienced user unfamiliar with the weapon, its interface, accessory capabilities (i.e. I would NEVER install a plastic/polymer forward grip with only one locking screw on anything bigger than a .22) and perhaps in need of additional familiarization with the weapon. Tragically, many who suffer through a weapon accident are inclined to blame the weapon first (weapon manufacturer/hardware manufacturer). This does not negate the possibility of faulty products, but also does not absolve the owner from some of the responsibilities inherent with owning a deadly weapon.
Regardless of the circumstances or shooting mode the owner was practicing, one must always remain hyper-vigilant of the possibility of a weapon malfunction and practice strict weapons discipline at all times - for example; take your finger off the trigger momentarily, while you reload a shotgun. Yes it's an extra step and adds a split second to reaction time, but through diligent dry-fire rehearsals, weapon familiarization, continuous equipment functions checks and deliberately focus on situational awareness, we can certainly minimize the "human error" factor.
I've purchased a number of accessories for my weapons and have deployed with my own accessories into combat zones. I ALWAYS check, double-check and double-double-check the fit, function and wear & tear on my equipment before and after every use. As a result, I always had a sense of whether my gear was becoming worn or loose-fitting and removed it before it could create a problem. Unfortunately, I've also returned or threw away poorly-made weapon accessories and stayed with high-end manufacturers. In this case, it sounds like this individual's forward grip secures to the handguard with a single, polymer attachment screw. That means it has a single point of failure - catastrophic at that. (I've always questioned ProMag's "economical" designs! - and avoided their products, regardless of how "cool" they might look).
My best wishes go out to the unfortunate shooter who suffered through this accident. I hope he recovers to the fullest extent possible.

Luis Diaz

Sunday, December 21, 2014 at 6:56 pm

First of all Kel Tec don't have a stock grip on it. it was installed by the user. and rapid fire really! your not fighting off aliens man. one shot would take down a grizzle bear trust me, I know first hand, this fucking bear came out of no wear charging at us and my friend pulled out his pump action shot gun and killed it with one shot. people don't respect guns always never,never keep keep my friend. but know you've lost your hand for not respecting.

Miguel

Saturday, January 3, 2015 at 10:02 pm

I hope someone gets to read this after reading the above article. The victim in this instance is actually a class 3 FFL dealer in King George, VA called Big Dogs. He has a store on rt. 301. The rumor in the area goes something like this...He was holding an event for some of his regular customers. A cookout shoot type deal. He was rapid firing the KSG in an attempt to show off. He was rapid firing the gun when the vertical grip broke and went forward along with his hand in front of the barrel while he was pulling the trigger and blew his hand off. The real question someone needs to ask is how many KSG's has the store sold since this happened? I'll bet more than a few.

D

Monday, January 5, 2015 at 5:21 am

I like my KSG, it kicks woefully hard when fired, and for that reason I would NEVER use a vertical grip of any type on such a short hard kicking shotgun. I use a AFG from Magpul an it solves short stroke and binding issues with the pump. the person prolly wanted coolness over function and safety. giving a coolness factor is great but safety always needs to come first.

Mike

Thursday, January 15, 2015 at 5:48 am

Firstly ,,Just because you mount a aftermarket Fore grip to a Firearm and YOURE OWN CUSTOM MODIFICATION malfunctions don't go crying to the Manufacturer. Don't be expecting Kel Tec to award a thing in this case. Seems when Certain People take it upon themselves to ""IMPROVE"" a Manufacturers Product they have NO IDEA whatsoever of what they are doing. The aftermarket Industry is to Blame for this as well. I feel Badly for the Poor Fellow who was Injured but ...for some people Knitting may be safer but you might poke an eye out also... if you're a Bit Inept. Darwin awards..

mgphilli

Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 1:41 pm

Obviously, the "properly installed forward grip" was not properly installed. Any litigation should be directed at the grip installer NOT Kel-Tec. The user has some culpability to ensure he is familiar with the firearm. Are we now going to sue pistol manufacturers if a shooter injures him/herself; pistols are significantly shorter than 26 inches.

If the shooter sustained this injury due to a manufacturing defect of the firearm, then the manufacturer should be held accountable. But not because the shooter is unfamiliar with or inadequately added some accessory to the firearm; or because the manufacturer has deep pockets.

Cj

Friday, February 27, 2015 at 8:47 pm

You have to have done something wrong to have your hand in front of the barrel before the shot. Just saying!!!

Matt

Sunday, March 1, 2015 at 1:27 pm

I got my KSG for $780 out of the box from a Nevada dealer. I love it! Bring on the zombies!!

Last modified: August 8, 2014
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About the Gun Writer

Lee Williams — The Gun Writer — can’t remember a time in his life when he wasn’t shooting. Before becoming a journalist, Lee served in the Army and worked as a police officer. He’s earned a dozen national journalism awards as a reporter, and three medals of valor as a cop. He is an NRA-certified law enforcement firearms instructor, an avid tactical shooter and a training junkie.

When he’s not busy as an investigative reporter for the Herald-Tribune, he is usually shooting his AKs, XDs and CZs.